Rotating Carousel Mold for Shaped Container Pressurization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing shaped metal aerosol containers using pressurized air as the pressurization medium are limited by low throughput and require secondary operations like drying when using water or hydraulic fluids.
Innovation Solution
A process and apparatus that uses a rotating carousel to align and shape preformed can blanks within a two-part mold, where pressurized air forces the sidewall of the container against the mold's inner surface to conform to a desired profile, eliminating the need for secondary operations like drying and enhancing throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pressurized air is used to shape container preforms in a mold, then the container shape conforms to the mold cavity, but the throughput and production speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple cavities (e.g., 4 cavities as shown in the figures), allowing simultaneous formation of multiple containers in one pressurization cycle. This segmentation enables parallel production while maintaining the precision of individual container shaping, thereby increasing overall throughput without sacrificing manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The process enables continuous operation by loading multiple preforms into the mold cavity simultaneously and performing pressurization in sequence or parallel. The mold can be quickly repositioned and reused after each cycle, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous productive action, thus improving throughput while preserving shaping precision.
2Force
If water or hydraulic fluid is used as pressurization medium, then shaping force can be effectively applied, but secondary drying operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses compressed air (pneumatic system) instead of water or hydraulic fluid as the pressurization medium. Compressed air delivers sufficient shaping force to conform the container preform to the mold cavity while eliminating the need for secondary drying operations, thereby reducing device complexity and process steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful element (water or hydraulic fluid requiring drying) is extracted and replaced with a beneficial alternative (compressed air). This substitution removes the need for secondary drying operations while maintaining effective shaping force application, simplifying the overall process.
3Manufacturing precision
If the mold closes and presses against the preform before pressurization, then the preform is precompressed to improve shaping, but the process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The preform is pre-positioned and pre-oriented in the mold cavity before the pressurization action begins. Alignment tools and guide structures ensure the preform is correctly positioned in advance, eliminating the need for time-consuming adjustments during pressurization and reducing overall process time while maintaining shaping quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning, alignment, and pressurization actions are merged into a single integrated operation. The mold structure incorporates alignment features that automatically position the preform as it is inserted, combining what would otherwise be separate steps into one simultaneous action, thereby reducing process time while ensuring shaping precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces processing time and increases the production of shaped containers while using compressed air, which eliminates the need for drying operations, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing reject rates.
Implementation Method 1
pressurized air forces the sidewall of the container outwardly against the inner surface of the mold
Implementation Method 2
compressed air is introduced into the preform and the air pressure forces the sidewall of the container outwardly
Data Source
AI summary
A molding unit (20) for use in a can shaping process. Container preforms (F) are mounted on a table (16) which is rotated so a blank is moved from an initial loading station (P1) to a molding station (P4). The molding unit includes a two-part mold (20a, 20b) split vertically in half, and an inner surface (56) of each mold half is shaped to produce a desired can profile. Once the preform is in place, a pressurization unit (102) is lowered into place from above the mold onto an open, upper end of the preform. The mold is then closed and pressurized air is introduced into the preform and forces the sidewall of the preform outwardly against the inner surface of the mold to conform the preform into a desired container profile. The height of the preform tries to contract as its sidewall expands, but a force imparted to the preform by the pressurization unit controls the direction of any contraction so to prevent distortion of the container. After the shaping operation is complete, the pressurized air is withdrawn from the container, the mold is opened, and the pressurization unit is removed. The table is rotated to an off-loading station (P7) where the shaped container is removed from the table and conveyed to the next operating location. As the table moves the contoured container to the off-loading station, another container preform is loaded into the mold.